Kolkata, May 1 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said anyone found aiding those who violate fire safety regulations—be it a local representative or an administrative official—will face strict action and will not be spared.



“I have told the police, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the fire brigade everyone who is responsible for this. No one will be spared whether he is a local representative or an administrative official. Strict action will be taken against them,” the chief minister, who visited the Burrabazar hotel in the central business district in Kolkata where 14 people lost their lives in a fire on Tuesday, said.



The chief minister also made it clear that this will be applicable not only for this hotel only but also for all shops and establishments across the state.



The chief minister’s visit comes a couple of days after 14 people lost their lives in one of the most devastating fires on Tuesday night at a hotel near Falpatti Machhua in Burrabazar, central Kolkata.



“I couldn’t come because I was in Digha but I was awake the whole night. I gave instructions to the fire minister and mayor so that the rescue operation can be done properly. The fire brigade saved more than 90 lives else this could have been more devastating,” the chief minister.



Strongly criticising the hotel owner for his lackadaisical attitude, the chief minister said, “This hotel was operating in this area from 1989 but the fire fighting system was not working. I saw the pipe but there is no water connection. Is it not the responsibility of the hotel owner to take care of the guests? They are your guests and you cannot push them to death like this.”



“There was only one staircase and people couldn’t get out of the hotel. They died of suffocation. In emergencies, one should always have a backup plan. Should those who don’t keep a backup in emergencies be forgiven? In some matters, I am very tough,” the chief minister said.



“The fire brigade and the police used ladders to save 90 lives. There was no smoke ventilation system in the hotel. When the fire brigade tried to enter the hotel, the rooms were locked. Most of the people died from the smoke.' If someone is running a hotel business, the safety of the guests must also be ensured by the hotel authorities," she added.



Asking Mayor Firhad Hakim, Kolkata police commissioner Monoj Verma and Minister of state for fire and emergency services Sujit Basu to do an emergency meeting with the local residents, the chief minister said, "You may have issues regarding land or housing, there may be disputes between tenants and landlords. But you must understand, this is a matter of life and death. If you want to live well, then the police and the municipality will speak directly with those who physically reside here."



The chief minister also requested the authorities to make alternative arrangements for the people during the renovation of the houses in the area.



Not only Burrabazar but the chief minister expressed concern about some buildings of Jorasanko – a congested area in North Kolkata and asked the police commissioner to make an extensive survey of all the buildings in the city.



"If you don’t want to give me a vote, don’t give but don’t play with your lives. Please live in a proper and healthy way,” the chief minister said.

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